Wednesday, December 23, 2015

This morning, George King in the Murdoch Post suggests an enticing new way for the Retrieval Empire to waste Rob Refsnyder. George writes...

Scouts say Refsnyder has enough arm strength to make the throw from third.

Bingo. There it is, everybody. And the winnah is... MISS COLUMBIA!

Refsnyder, now 25, has spent the last three years learning 2B. Why not move him to third! That could run his time in Scranton to 27. Two years from now, when Chase Headley is nearing his milestone 100th throwing error, they can try Refsnyder at catcher. Wait! If he can make the throw from third, maybe he can pitch!

Oh, well, next spring Ref can enjoy another Scranton spring with Greg Bird. After hitting 11 HR late last season, Bird is already buying his tickets for the Anthracite Museum tour.

Of course, Ref and the Birdster won't be alone. Scranton's OF likely will be Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams and Ben Gamel - as it was last year. As a teen, Heathcott survived an incredibly tough life. Now comes the ultimate test: Escaping the Yankee farm system. Williams last year looked great; too bad he's a LH on a team full of them. As for Gamel? All he did last year was hit .300 over a full season. Maybe this year, he can hit .400!

OK, let me address what you must be thinking: What do I know about player personnel decisions?

You're right. The Yankees have career managers making decisions, and they certainly know more than me. But we're now looking at our 4th consecutive year of Wild Card chase mediocrity. I want results.

If the Yankees are going to be a team lashed contractually to bloated old vets, the least they can do is shell out and add new stars, so at least someone is in his prime. If we're going to be the frugal San Diego Padres - that is, clutch our dimes and not bid on anybody - then I'd like to watch young Yankees rise up and get a chance - rather than always be taking on another former Yankee opponent in his downward trajectory.

If we're going to be the high-spending Yankees - the gold standard for franchises - then go out and get the players.

If we're going to be the cheap Yankees, then at least let the youngsters show what they can do.

Right now, heading into another Wild Card chase, we are neither. But - hey - Scranton should be solid! (Unless it's the most demoralizing place on earth.)

4 comments:

The Yankees have landed somewhere in the middle ( between spending on fading stars and using prospects ) where, realistically, only decline and boredom are possible.

As always, the Yankee ownership mis-reads Yankee fans. They think we would rather have a team of Chase Headley's than a team of Refsnyders and Heathcotts. As a consequence, they give out $60 million, five year contracts to the Headley and hand out, " sorry, there is no opportunity here " slips to the Yankee prospects. Thereby, binding the team to mediocrity and forfeiting any shot at excitement and interest for the fans.

The hard truth is; Yankee ownership and management only pretend to care what Yankee fans think or want. Why do you think they sold all the fancy seats to Goldman Sachs? And why do you think those seats are nearly always empty? The Yankees have already banked the check and could care less what the fans think.

Only if the franchise begins to fail from lack of interest, lack of fans, and lack of checks, will anything change. And this won't happen because, " a fool is born every minute. "

So get ready for Chase Headley, mediocrity and boredom beyond belief. Watching the Yankees has become like watching re-runs of a lousy movie.

Truthfully, Yankee fans have much more fun going to Scranton and watching, " What might have been."

Maybe we'll get lucky, and have an injury experience like that which every year plagues Tom Coughlin and the New York Giants. The, we get to see some of the practice team players and street free agents now withering on the vine in coal country.